Today, as gold surges past $1,600 an ounce, it's tempting to start rummaging through your jewelry box to raise cash. But there are other, better ways of making money from rising prices. Read on to find out how -- but first, you should know why gold is spiking, and how the price might change.

One interesting aspect of the gold rush is that shares of gold-miners haven't skyrocketed along with the price of physical gold. So, one money pro offers his top-three gold-mining stock picks for investors who are still on the outside looking in.